FIFA has made a final decision regarding the controversial celebration of the Argentina team after the victory over Egypt, closing speculations about a penalty for the reigning champions.
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) will not issue any form of disciplinary action against the Argentina national team following the controversial dressing room celebration after the 3-2 victory over Egypt in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
After an emotional comeback to win a ticket to the quarter-finals, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) posted a video capturing the players singing the song La Cuarta Estrella (The Fourth Star) in the dressing room. This is a song associated with Argentina’s World Cup conquest journey, but some lyrics were said to mention sensitive topics, causing the video to quickly generate much controversy on social media.
According to the Daily Mail, FIFA reviewed the incident but decided not to open an investigation nor apply any penalty to coach Lionel Scaloni and his players. The world football governing body determined that this celebration did not violate the tournament’s current disciplinary regulations.
The buzz surrounding the South American team shows no signs of dying down either. Following the defeat against Argentina, Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko drew attention when suggesting that the 2026 World Cup was “arranged” for the reigning champions to defend their throne. Meanwhile, manager Hossam Hassan also opined that FIFA wants to keep Lionel Messi in the tournament for as long as possible for commercial benefits. However, these statements have not yet had any verified evidence.
On the pitch, Argentina went through a dramatic match against Egypt. Lionel Scaloni’s squad was down twice, and Messi even missed a penalty in the first half before the South American team made a spectacular comeback to win 3-2 and win the right to enter the quarter-finals.
In the next round, Argentina will clash with Switzerland. If they continue to win, Messi and his teammates could completely face the England team in the semi-finals, provided the Three Lions overcome Norway. Both of these quarter-final matches take place on July 12, promising to decide the outcome of the race to the 2026 World Cup championship.
